UAE denies airspace transit for Qatar aircraft

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday denied opening its sovereign airspace to transit registered aircraft in Qatar, the Emirati official WAM news agency reported.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation in the UAE confirmed in a statement that it “denied the opening of airspace to aircraft registered in Qatar,” Xinhua reported.

“What has been allowed is the use of the airspace that lies above international waters and is managed by the UAE,” the agency said in a statement.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain, known as the “Arab quartet” cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing them of supporting and financing terrorism.

They submitted a list of 13 requests, which the Kuwaiti mediator handed over to Qatar on June 22, in a move to resolve the existing diplomatic crisis.

The list included the closure of the Turkish military base and Al-Jazeera satellite channel, the reduction of relations with Iran and the extradition of wanted individuals to the four countries currently present on Qatari territory.

Qatar rejected the demands, in a response that the four countries considered very negative, and decided to continue the boycott of the former, and to consider new sanctions against it.